Association News

ASTM Committee develops standard for nitric acid extraction.

Press Release Summary:

May 30, 2013 -
ASTM WK42045, Practice for Nitric Acid-Extraction of Elements from Ores and Related Metallurgical Materials Using Closed Vessel Microwave Heating, will be used to protect water used for drinking, recreational, and agricultural purposes from environmental impacts. According to one member of subcommittee responsible for its development, proposed standard will be used by laboratories to dissolve samples for metals analysis and comparison with other testing method solutions.

Original Press Release

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – A proposed new nitric acid extraction standard being developed by ASTM Committee E01 on Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores and Related Materials will be used to protect water used for drinking, recreational and agricultural purposes from environmental impacts.

ASTM WK42045, Practice for Nitric Acid-Extraction of Elements from Ores and Related Metallurgical Materials Using Closed Vessel Microwave Heating, is being developed by Subcommittee E01.02 on Ores, Concentrates and Related Metallurgical Materials.

According to Charles Bucknam, senior consultant, analytical development, Newmont Metallurgical Technologies, and an E01 member, the proposed standard will be used by laboratories to dissolve samples for metals analysis and comparison with other testing method solutions.

Part of the impetus for work on ASTM WK42045 comes from a request made by the Nevada mining laboratory certification program for a standardized solids digestion procedure for elemental characterization of mine solid, waste rock, process wastes and ore.

“Mine and metals processing materials may impact the environment at a site due to dissolution of the metals during mining, processing stockpiling and disposal of wastes in engineered waste facilities,” says Bucknam.

“Nitric acid digestion of the materials will allow elemental analysis of the solutions to determine the presence of metals in the materials and assist in the proper design of waste disposal facilities.”

Bucknam notes that all interested parties are invited to join in the standards development and maintenance activities of E01.02.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.